


One Reason

by Mizu_umi



Series: Counting the Good Things [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canon - Manga, Fix-It, M/M, POV Uchiha Sasuke, Post-Chapter 699 (Naruto), Retcon, The Last: Naruto the Movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-11-19 00:16:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18128411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizu_umi/pseuds/Mizu_umi
Summary: Sasuke returns to Konoha after the incident with Ootsutsuki Toneri and makes a not so surprising declaration.Or five reasons Sasuke had to forget about his feelings, and one that invalidated them all.





	1. a controversial relationship

**Author's Note:**

> Naruto has been a big part of my life. I know it's not perfect, but that doesn't diminish the impact it had on me. When I finished the manga, like many others, I was not happy with the last chapter, but I accepted it. Then, I watched the end of the animation and The Last and, though I watch Boruto or maybe because of it, I couldn't deal with the pairings anymore (Boruto exists in a different place in my mind).
> 
> This story, just as reading fanfiction and working on my translations is a way to bring peace to my poor heart and an opportunity to try the 5+1 thing I like so much to read.
> 
> Hope I got the characters right and that someone can enjoy this.

 

 

_On a mission. Return next week._

 

Sasuke felt his eye twitch as he read the short note. Only six words written on it and not a single one was related to what had happened the previous night.

 

He had known his _declaration_ , if it could be considered as such, would be difficult to assimilate, and he had known the blonde would probably need time, a lot of time considering it was Naruto, to decide what he wanted to do about it. What Sasuke had not expected was for Naruto to freeze, mutter a ridiculous excuse, and run away. Definitely, he had not expected the idiot to go on a suspiciously timed mission the next day either.

 

Sasuke crumpled the annoying note and considered his options. If the idiot was purposefully avoiding him, there was not much he could do. For the time being, the best he could do was asking Kakashi whether Naruto's mission was real. Then, he would be able to avoid the shame of waiting for a response that would not come.

 

On his way to the Hokage Tower, he found himself face to face with Shikamaru.

 

"Kakashi is not here yet," Shikamaru provided as soon as he spotted Sasuke.

 

Sasuke frowned, promptly searching for Kakashi's chakra signature. Nothing. "It's almost noon."

 

"It's Kakashi," Shikamaru scoffed.

 

Sasuke sighed; he should have known better.

 

"I was heading out to eat something, wanna come?" Shikamaru offered, then, when Sasuke hesitated, he added, "he usually finds his _way on the road of life_ after lunchtime."

 

Sasuke rolled his eyes before agreeing. He was not in the mood for food, but he was too old to waste another minute waiting for Kakashi. Besides, Shikamaru was one of the few persons, aside from Team 7 members, he managed to tolerate.

 

They entered a teishoku and sat in the most hidden corner of the establishment. Still, Sasuke could feel on him the stares of the people eating there. It had been three years, and they continued staring at him as if they were expecting him to go mad and kill them all. Sasuke understood their wariness, though, so whenever he visited Konoha, he tried to keep to his or Naruto's apartment as much as possible. The less the people saw of him, the better.

 

"It is not what you are thinking," Shikamaru said, regaining his attention; he was resting his chin on his hand and staring at Sasuke with his usual bored stare.

 

"I doubt it isn't." He didn't understand why Shikamaru, of all people, would try to deny it.

 

"If you want to know, it is about the fuss you caused yesterday." The dishes arrived, and Shikamaru fell silent until the waiter left. "Did you have to do it in such a public place?"

 

Sasuke blinked, immediately catching where Shikamaru was going. "You know?"

 

" _All_ of Konoha knows."

 

"We were practically alone," Sasuke mumbled, not quite complaining, but still frustrated.

 

Shikamaru shrugged. "Every single bit of Naruto-related information spreads like wildfire since the war ended."

 

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek, trying to contain his irritation. "That was just between the two of us."

 

"And that's why you should have chosen a private place."

 

Sasuke didn't answer immediately. Indeed, he had not planned to do it in the middle of the street, deserted as it had appeared back then. But, as usual, it had been Naruto's fault. The moron had kept blabbering about his latest date with the Hyuuga girl. Sasuke had grown more irritated by the moment until he suddenly found himself blurting: 'She shouldn’t be the one standing by your side.'

 

Of course, Naruto had not believed him immediately, had even laughed. But once reality had sunk in, he had run away. Sasuke repressed a grimace at the memory.

 

"Things never go as planned when Naruto is involved," he said, trying to maintain his usual detached tone.

 

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Has he not given you a reply?"

 

Sasuke glared at Shikamaru. "That is not-"

 

"It _is_ the Hokage's business." Shikamaru's tone had abruptly turned serious.

 

Sasuke remained silent, observing the man in front of him. He cursed himself for believing his encounter with Shikamaru had been a coincidence or that Kakashi was not in the Hokage Tower, and even more for imagining Naruto would be capable of avoiding him in such a way.

 

"Is Naruto's mission authentic?" Sasuke countered with a question of his own.

 

"Naruto's activities are classified."

 

Sasuke barely contained himself from reacting to the hypocrisy of that statement because punching the Hokage's assistant in the face would only bring him trouble.

 

"He left before giving a reply."

 

Shikamaru just nodded, his expression unreadable.

 

"I answered your question, Nara. Now you answer mine."

 

Shikamaru didn't even flinch at the unspoken threat. "It is; we made him exchange places with Kiba after we heard of yesterday."

 

Sasuke's fist clenched slightly. "I'll talk to him sooner or later," he declared.

 

"We are not trying to stop you from doing that." Shikamaru raised a hand at Sasuke's impending retaliation. "We just needed time to prepare for Konoha's reaction."

 

"What reaction?"

 

Shikamaru stared at their untouched, cooling lunch and sighed tiredly, tilting his head back. "When it became known that Naruto and Hinata were dating, some of Naruto's fangirls camped outside the Hyuuga Estate, demanding their relationship to end."

 

Sasuke snorted, remembering Naruto had mentioned something like that in one of his letters. "I have enough common sense to avoid picking up a fight with Naruto's fangirls."

 

Shikamaru returned his attention to Sasuke. "We are expecting a more aggressive response towards you, and not just from fangirls." Shikamaru looked around before leaning closer to him. "Crazy teenagers aside, people approved of Hinata; she is practically a princess, just right for the Hero of Konoha."

 

It was needless to add Sasuke was not just a man, but a former missing ninja, heir of a cursed clan or that he had almost caused Naruto's death. Sasuke understood all the same.

 

"I know where I stand, Nara.  I swear I won't answer to their provocations." He never did.

 

"Naruto will."

 

That, however, was something Sasuke would not even try to deny. He had heard and witnessed several times how Naruto had reacted every time someone had spoken ill of him, even if Sasuke had deserved each one of the insults.

 

"I'm not asking you to back off," Shikamaru continued, "but to make sure Naruto won't throw away his accomplishments because of some intrusive villagers."

 

"I think I can keep the dobe under control," he stated, stood up and turned towards the exit.

 

"I talked with some of the guys," Shikamaru said from behind. "If things get truly ugly, we will make Naruto our priority."

 

"Hn," he muttered as he exited the restaurant.

 

When the Konoha 11 had forgiven him, they had made clear that, if the time came, they would always choose Naruto over him.

 

Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 


	2. a chance for happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't hold anything against Hinata, but the way in which she and Naruto got together makes no sense. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the kudos.

 

 

Sasuke's talk with Shikamaru had made him self-assured. He had confirmed Naruto's mission was real, which reduced the probability of the idiot being avoiding him. Besides, the fact that Shikamaru had gone out of his way to talk to him spoke volumes. And Sasuke would die before admitting it, but the idea made him feel ready to jump out of his skin.

 

He had thought, given how his life had gone since he was seven, nothing would manage to thrill him once more. Then again, Naruto was an expert on proving him wrong. Sasuke only had to wait.

 

Waiting, however, was starting to drive Sasuke insane, even if only two days had passed since Naruto went on his mission. There was nothing he wanted to do nor a place he wanted to visit. If he went out while at Konoha or managed to stay more than a couple of hours, it was just because the idiot had been by his side.

 

How could he not understand something that obvious before?

 

After walking around his empty apartment for the tenth time, Sasuke decided he needed to find something to do and walked straight to Naruto's home. There he could at least do some cleaning; the idiot's place was more often than not a dunghill, at least from Sasuke's perspective.

 

When Sasuke made it to his destination, he noticed the door wasn't locked and made a mental note to scold the idiot for his carelessness. It was not until he had taken his sandals off that he noticed the other presence in the apartment, another shinobi.

 

Sasuke didn't know what to expect but finding Hinata Hyuuga in Naruto's balcony was, definitely, last on his list. They stared at each other for a long time in an attempt to process the awkward situation. Sasuke wondered whether he was supposed to explain his presence in the idiot's apartment; the girl was still Naruto's girlfriend, for all he knew.

 

"I take care of his plants when Naruto-kun goes on missions," she explained, holding the watering can but not moving.

 

Sasuke glanced at the ridiculous amount of plants on the balcony and nodded. "I'll come back later."

 

"You don't have to leave, you know?" She was still holding his stare, calm but firm and nothing at all like the girl Sasuke remembered from their days at the Academy. "I'm almost done," she added, resuming her task.

 

Sasuke didn't know how much time passed, but he realized he had stayed standing in the genkan when the Hyuuga girl walked past him. She placed the watering can on the kitchen's sink, washed her hands and went to stand in front of Sasuke. If he had been less stunned, he might have given a step back.

 

"Could you return this to Naruto-kun?" She extended her hand to give him a key. "I think he forgot to ask it back when he... before he left."

 

Sasuke blinked, surprised at the implications of what she was doing. Of course, she would not be taking care of Naruto's stuff anymore. He spared another glance at the potted plants before hesitantly taking the key from her fingers.

 

"It's not hard to take care of them," she pointed at a sheet of paper hanging beside a ramen poster. "Naruto-kun wrote down the instructions there."

 

"Hn," he muttered, staring at the messy handwriting.

 

It was not the difficulty of the task which troubled him. Sasuke was more than capable of taking care of Naruto's little garden until the blonde returned, but it was not like he would be able to do it every single time. Sasuke had his own mission, which kept him away from the village most of the time.

 

When Sasuke returned his attention to her, he caught her giving a look around the apartment. The longing in her eyes lasted just an instant before she squared her shoulders and walked to the entrance. Sasuke was about to sigh, grateful that the awkward situation was reaching its end when the Hyuuga girl looked over her shoulder.

 

"Naruto-kun has suffered enough because of you," she stated, not with real hostility, but Sasuke perceived the hint of a warning in her tone. "You have to make him happy."

 

Hinata Hyuuga left, and Sasuke felt as though she had used her gentle fist on him instead of words. He knew what he had done to Naruto, and it was not the first time someone recriminated him his actions, but coming from someone who he knew genuinely cared for Naruto, made it worse.

 

Sasuke sat on Naruto's bed, alternating his stare between the balcony, the main entrance and the spare key. Had he just ruined Naruto's chance for happiness?

 

It was easy to picture Naruto being happy with Hinata Hyuuga, being Hokage, building the family he never had before. Sasuke could imagine him naming his daughters after the flowers from his garden and his sons after some stupid ramen topping. Naruto would take care of every single soul in the village and strengthen the ties between the nations using his will as only tool.

 

There didn't seem to be a place for Sasuke in such a life.

 

Sasuke clenched his hand around the spare key. For one despairing moment, he considered going after the Hyuuga girl, telling her he was the one who should be leaving. Then, his mind provided him with the memory of the few times he had returned to Konoha, every time Naruto had been there to receive him with a smile. He thought of all the things Naruto had done for him, how hard he had fought to drag him away from the darkness in his heart. Sasuke knew Naruto gave away his kindness easily, and he knew his thoughts were being arrogant at best, but he was sure Naruto had never done so much for anyone but Sasuke.

 

Maybe he could find a way to keep Naruto happy.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to read your opinions, leave a comment.


	3. a forgotten objective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still managed to update in time... that's not a good sign.
> 
> Thanks for the kudos and enjoy the reading.

 

 

Sasuke and Naruto were different in many aspects. One of the most outstanding of them was that Naruto was a naturally thoughtful person while Sasuke was... well, he was no longer used to be considerate of others. And he was reminded of this after his encounter with Hinata Hyuuga. It was now clear to him that the first thing Naruto had done after leaving Sasuke that night had been talking to the Hyuuga girl. Sasuke, on the other hand, had not thought about informing Sakura what had happened until two days later.

 

Sasuke didn't have a relationship with Sakura, not like the one Naruto had had with Hinata Hyuuga. After the war, there had been some sort of implicit understanding between the two of them, but it was nowhere close to a real relationship. He had given her hope because he had come to trust her, and it had seemed the most logical choice at the time, but he had not done it harbouring romantic ambitions.

 

Still, Sasuke knew he had to make things clear with Sakura before facing Naruto because the idiot would not forgive him if he managed to, yet again, hurt their teammate's feelings.

 

As he made his way towards Konoha's Hospital, Sasuke noticed he was drawing more attention than usual, and that the stares contained more distrust than the usual fear, but he merely sighed and kept walking. The villagers, civilians or shinobi, rarely acted against him, and Shikamaru had warned him about their dissatisfaction.

 

When he got there, he realized the hospital was not how he remembered it at all. In the few years that had gone by since the Great War, the place had grown from a single building to a complex of three; one of them solely dedicated to research. Sasuke realized, a little ashamed, that he had no idea of where to find Sakura. He didn't even know whether she was on shift or had the day off. Truly, he should have been more involved in her life.

 

He had been glaring at the three buildings, trying to decide where to go first, when he recognized Sakura's chakra approaching. He walked towards the entrance of the furthest building to intercept her.

 

"Sasuke-kun!" She had located him immediately after she crossed the entrance. "What are you doing here?" She seemed genuinely surprised to see him there. "Are you feeling okay?"

 

"I have- there is something I must tell you."

 

Sasuke saw her surprise turn into some emotion he couldn't identify before she nodded and started to walk in the direction of her apartment. He fell into step with her but remained in silence, for he didn't know where to start. He was almost certain she had already heard what had happened, more likely from some gossiping nurse. Still, he forced himself to look for the words that would cause the least damage. Meanwhile, the silence between them prolonged, only interrupted by the succession of greetings Sakura received from the passing villagers. She appeared to be as popular as Naruto, but Sasuke had not spent enough time with her before to notice.

 

After another two minutes of silence, she spoke, "You know, it's not like I imagined it would be."

 

Sasuke turned to her, confused. "What isn't?"

 

"I used to wonder how it would be if you ever picked me up from one of my shift's and walked me home," she replied with a half-smile on her face.

 

"Hn."

 

"I never expected it to actually happen, but it is still a bit underwhelming."

 

If he hadn't been used to suppress his emotions, he would have grimaced. There it was, another proof of how inconsiderate he had been with her, even as a friend.

 

"Sakura-" he made a failed attempt before being interrupted.

 

"You don't have to say anything. I know already," she said, finally stopping in the middle of the road.

 

That was exactly what Sasuke had not wanted to hear. "I don't know how... accurate is the gossip running around the village."

 

"Gossip?" Her green eyes shone with mirth. "I heard directly from Naruto."

 

For the first time in his life, he doubted his hearing skills. "What did you say?"

 

"Naruto came to my apartment that night." Sakura smiled fondly. "He said he had come in your place because surely you would be too much of a bastard to offer me an explanation."

 

Now he knew he would definitely beat Naruto the next time he saw him. The idiot had had enough time before his mission to pay a visit to Sakura and Hinata Hyuuga but all Sasuke had gotten had been a note.

 

"Damn idiot," he muttered.

 

"I'm sure he would be happy to know you at least tried."

 

Sasuke had tried, yes, but he had not managed to utter a single word in the end. He felt strangely defeated; this talking thing was far too much for his set of skills. And the fact that Naruto had defeated him at something without him knowing, combined with the condescending look Sakura was offering him, frustrated him to no end.

 

"Now what?" He asked. "Should I allow you to punch me or beg for your mercy after misleading you?"

 

Sasuke had seldom apologised in his life, but little could make the situation more uncomfortable than it already was. And then, Sakura chuckled.

 

"What's so funny?"

 

"Sorry, it is just that Naruto offered the same," she said. "I think it's cute that you had the same idea."

 

Sasuke felt utterly humiliated at this point; he was pretty sure he was blushing, so he tried to redirect the conversation. "You are taking this rather well."

 

"It was also my fault." She looked away and shrugged. "I was too distracted by the fact that you had finally spared me a second glance to notice our situation was not what I would have wanted it to be."

 

Sasuke recognized that as his cue to make things a little less painful. "I wasn't lying. I had thought it was- what you wanted it to be, too. Like- what was supposed to happen. But now it doesn't- I had not understood." He finished, exhausted, hoping what he had said counted as the explanation he had been aiming for.

 

Sakura observed him with widened eyes. Sasuke might have just told her he was planning to join Orochimaru again or to attack the next Kage Summit. But he knew the truth. Despite all the stammering and barely comprehensible blabbering, he had shared more about his thoughts than he had done since the end of the war, which he had only done in Naruto's presence.

 

"What?" He snapped when he could no longer tolerate how vulnerable he had left himself.

 

Sakura reflected another second, then: "Would you like a cup of tea?"

 

Sasuke couldn't understand where an offer like that had come from. Shouldn't she be angry? Perhaps she was trying to poison him again.

 

"Naruto gifted me a lovely floral blend on my last birthday," she continued, ignoring Sasuke's shock. "You can tell me everything about how you came to understand... whatever it is you understood."

 

Her smile, combined with her inquisitive stare sent shivers down his spine, and he knew he was going to regret accepting her offer. But Sasuke felt like he owed her something, even if that something was the chance of interrogating and making fun of him. Besides, he guessed he had to practice giving voice to his thoughts if he was planning to face the idiot in the near future.

 

He had known the location of Sakura's apartment, but he had never set feet there until now. It was bigger than Naruto's and way tidier but didn't feel nearly as cosy. Sasuke couldn't perceive Sakura's heart in it the way he did when surrounded by Naruto's mess. It was quite depressing, and he should probably stop comparing both places.

 

"You don't spend much time here," he murmured.

 

"I don't," replied Sakura from her kitchen. "Most of the time I'm sleeping, sometimes not even that. Kakashi-sensei wants to improve the whole medic unit and Tsunade-sama trust very few to initiate the training of the recruits. Shizune-sempai and I have to handle most of the work. I've been seriously considering moving to one of the hospital's rooms until everything settles down."

 

"Hn."

 

"Here," Sakura handed him a steaming cup. "Anyway, take a seat. You were in the middle of offering me an explanation."

 

Sasuke stared at his cup and sighed, sitting across from her. "What do you want me to tell you?"

 

Sakura leaned forward, smiling. "How did you decide the love of your life was Naruto and not me?" Sasuke chocked on the first sip of his tea. "Although, now that I think about it, it shouldn't be surprising," Sakura kept speaking, stare fixed on the contents of her cup. "The bond you share is... otherworldly."

 

In the middle of his embarrassment, Sasuke had to stop to seriously consider those words. What had surprised him the most was not the realization itself, but the fact that he had ignored such an obvious truth during such a long time. Right, he had never been very competent in dealing with his feelings, or Naruto for that matter, but those feelings had been there from the moment he admitted his defeat, maybe longer.

 

The truth was that if the Moon-Falling-to-the-Earth incident had not triggered certain events, Sasuke would have never been forced to acknowledge those feelings. But Toneri Ôtsutsuki had kidnapped Hyuuga Hanabi, and Naruto and the others had gone to rescue her, and somehow that had culminated with the idiot discovering he had feelings for the older Hyuuga girl. How one thing had led to the other was beyond Sasuke's grasp, although that didn't change what he thought about the matter.

 

When Naruto had written him about Hinata Hyuuga the first time, he had shaken his head after reading about the blonde's shenanigans and stored the letter with the rest. He had been more focused on his friend's words regarding how Sasuke had protected Konoha when he had not been available. Then, he had become progressively more upset the more Naruto included stories about his girlfriend. It was not just the two of them any longer, and that didn't sit well with Sasuke. Unconsciously, after years of being persistently chased after by the tenacious idiot, he had assumed that he would always have Naruto's undivided attention. As pathetic as the thought had been, it had forced Sasuke to make a hasty return to Konoha.

 

After he revealed as much to Sakura, she whistled. "I can't believe Uchiha Sasuke just admitted he was jealous of Hinata Hyuuga."

 

Sasuke glowered. "That is ridiculous."

 

"It is not." There was no mockery in Sakura's expression as she said: "Jealousy is one of the ways in which people realise they like someone."

 

"I don't _like_ Naruto," he protested.

 

Sakura blinked at him a couple of times. "Oh, of course," she offered him a sweet smile. "Be sure to tell him that."

 

Sasuke nodded.

 

Sakura refilled both cups with a small smile on her face, but there were no more questions or words after that. She seemed to be considering what they had discussed, perhaps trying to determine how she felt about it, so he remained in silence looking around the room. There was a bookcase right behind Sakura, mostly filled with medical texts and scrolls. However, what captured his attention was the shelf with picture frames. In the first photo, she appeared as a child with both of her parents in front of the Academy; there were a few others of her and Ino, a couple more in the company of Naruto, and one with her medical team which looked pretty recent. Lastly, Sasuke found their team picture, where Sakura and Kakashi had been smiling at the camera, while he and Naruto sneered at each other.

 

For the first time in years, Sasuke wondered what had happened to his copy of the photo. He knew Kakashi's was on the man's desk at the Hokage Tower and had seen Naruto's whenever he visited the blond. The thought caused him to wince slightly, wishing he had taken better care of his teammates, all of them. He definitely owed Sakura a proper apology for his past actions.

 

"Sasuke-kun?"

 

He returned his attention to her and noticed her expression had morphed into one of concern. He just nodded to encourage her to speak her mind, but she seemed more hesitant than before. "What else do you want to know?" At this point, there was little she could say that could make him feel insulted.

 

Sakura deviated her stare towards the window and said: "I don't know whether I should be asking this?"

 

"Just do it."

 

"What will happen with... to your Clan?"

 

The question didn't anger him like she might have been expecting. Although, Sasuke did have to pause a moment to think because, despite what he had said and still had to say to Naruto, that had been the last thing that had crossed his mind. If he continued with his current course of action, there would be no rebuilding for his Clan. However, it turned out the answer was perfectly clear for him.

 

"Nothing," he replied with no trace of hesitation.

 

"I thought you-"

 

"Not anymore-"

 

Sakura's eyes hardened. "Why?"

 

Sasuke merely shrugged. There were various reasons, most of which he didn't want to think of, much less talk about.

 

"Are you absolutely sure about it?"

 

This time, Sasuke started to get bothered by her insistence. He might have agreed to the conversation, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to establish some limits. If someone had the right to question him regarding the topic, that would be Naruto and only him.

 

"Look," Sakura started when he refused to utter another word, "I just want to make sure you won't do something that might hurt Naruto."

 

 He felt his grip on the teacup hardening marginally. Perhaps the reminders of how much damage he had caused would never stop. "You'll have to be more specific."

 

Sakura placed her cup on the coffee table and moved it aside. "If you ultimately decide you want to continue your bloodline, what will happen? Will you ask Naruto to look away while you pursue your… objective?" Sasuke gritted his teeth and took a moment to calm down, which Sakura used to her advantage. "You know if you were to ask him to bear with it, he would do it, regardless of how that would hurt him. That would-"

 

"That won't happen," he stopped her harshly. Even if he were to set aside his other motives, Naruto's feelings were more than enough for him to forget about bloodlines and Clans. "That won't happen," he repeated slowly, holding Sakura's stare.

 

She was the first to look away, sighing. "As his friend, I should probably advise him against getting involved with you like this, but that idiot surely wouldn't listen," she said, shaking her head.

 

Sasuke decided it was wise not to ask why she considered he was not good enough for Naruto but acceptable for herself. He instead tried to finish their conversation on a lighter note.

 

"I trust you will set me straight if needed." Sasuke meant it, counted on it.

 

Sakura blinked at him, surprised. "I guess someone has to care for that idiot," she snorted, then added after a brief pause: "Now, as amusing as it is to have you here, I just finished a thirty-six-hour shift and require some sleep."

 

As she accompanied him towards the entrance, Sasuke tried very hard not to stare at the wetness in her eyes. He didn't understand it and there was not much he could do anyway. If she had wanted his comfort, she would have let him know.

 

He had barely crossed the threshold when she called his name, and he had not quite fully turned around when her fist connected with the side of his face. Sasuke's back collided with the hall's wall; even without the use of her superhuman strength, Sakura possessed a powerful punch and the fact that he had not seen it coming had not helped. Once he managed to get on steady feet again, he noticed her satisfied expression.

 

"For the record, this was not about you and Naruto," she explained, "you owed me this for choosing to follow that creep over our team." Sakura smiled at him, almost playfully. "Hope to see more of you from now on," she finished and closed the door.

 

Sasuke stood petrified for a moment, unsure of what had just happened. His cheekbone was starting to swell, his head hurt a little, but, all in all, his encounter with Sakura had gone better than he had expected. He found himself smirking at her door. After all those years, they might finally be able to relate as friends.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have liked to see a different Sakura (one living up to her full potential) in the original story. I hope this chapter treated her better than Kishimoto did.
> 
> Please let me know your opinion on the story.


	4. an endangered dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is early because I couldn't sleep yesterday and decided to use that time to do the editing.
> 
> Thanks for the kudos and comments and enjoy the chapter.

 

 

In hindsight, it shouldn't have surprised him to be summoned to Tsunade's presence. It had taken only three days for the whole of Konoha and part of Suna to find out about Sasuke's _confession_. Of course, the former Hokage would know, and of course, she would have something to say about the matter, even if Sasuke had not asked for her opinion. And he could have ignored the call, but the ANBU who had transmitted the message weren't inclined to allow him to do so, and Sasuke wouldn't have been able to get away without starting a fight.

 

He followed the masked shinobi in silence, resigned to listen to whatever it was the woman had to say. He hated the fact that he would have to explain himself to yet another person who was not Naruto. His talk with Sakura had been needed, he had accepted it had been good for him, had lifted a weight from his shoulders to make things clear with her, but he was reaching his limit of invasions to his private life.

 

He glared at the ANBU for a second when they stopped in front of a bar, then remembered who had summoned him and hurried to get into the establishment. The place was empty, except for the blonde woman sitting at the back, emptying what looked like her third bottle of sake and surrounded by another two dozen.

 

"Tsunade-sama," the three ANBU greeted in unison as they set a knee on the floor, while Sasuke stood awkwardly behind them.

 

"Tch, took you long enough," Tsunade placed the bottle on the table and waved her hand at her guards, "leave us."

 

"Tsunade-sama, it is not safe-" the leader, the one with a boar mask started.

 

"Please," she snorted, "if he decided to kill me, you wouldn't be able to stop him anyway."

 

"But-"

 

"You are dismissed." Something in her tone of voice convinced the ANBU this time and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

 

Once they were gone, Tsunade focused her stare on him, and the silence in the room became almost palpable. Sasuke had never been alone with her before, they had never held a conversation, and as far as he remembered their only direct interaction had been when she had healed him from Itachi's Tsukuyomi. But Sasuke didn't need to be close to her to understand what lied behind her eyes. She was wary of him, and even if she didn't hate him, which wouldn't surprise him given the history between the Uchiha and the Senju, she would very much prefer to keep him in a cell.

 

"If this is about Sakura-"

 

"Please," she snorted, informing him of how wrong he was. "Sakura can take care of her own business," she said, smiling proudly. "I think your face is proof enough."

 

Sasuke barely managed to stop himself from widening his eyes. He hadn’t seen the point in having something as small as a bruise healed, but had used a partial henge to avoid raising questions.  Had she realised just by looking at him or had Sakura told her teacher something?

 

"Then what is this about?"

 

Tsunade rested her chin on one hand and reached with the other for her sake. "This is about the brat, obviously."

 

"I think Naruto can take care of his own business."

 

"I disagree." Tsunade's eyes hardened. "The brat might be the strongest shinobi alive, but that doesn't make him any less naive. He's too kind-hearted for his own good."

 

Sasuke tensed at the implications of her words. He would not deny his past mistakes, nor would he feel offended because people didn't trust him. But of what they still deemed him capable of doing, hurting Naruto, in such a way, was completely out of the realm of possibility.

 

"I would not-" he didn't know how to finish. "I am completely serious about this."

 

"And I'm not questioning your feelings, Uchiha."

 

That left Sasuke out of words. The woman was saying she believed he wasn't lying. If that was the case, however, Sasuke was starting to worry about the true motive of their conversation.

 

Tsunade must have sensed his confusion because she directed him an indulging stare before continuing: "The next couple of years will be decisive for the brat's career. Everything he does during that time will determine whether he will become Hokage or not."

 

Sasuke actually rolled his eyes at that. "I already had this conversation. Shikamaru told me about the villagers' reaction and I assured him I would be careful not to damage their relationship with the dobe."

 

The older woman stared at him with something akin to pity, which made Sasuke swallow in anticipation.

 

"I'm afraid it is more complicated than that, Uchiha." She stopped as if to consider her next words. "Naruto will need the recognition and acceptance of civilians and shinobi to become Hokage but that's not all there is behind it." Tsunade shifted her eyes from Sasuke to the bottle of sake in front of her. "The villagers are not happy with you, but as soon as they understand how important you are for the brat, they will come to terms with it. The real problem is-"

 

"The Council," Sasuke said bitterly.

 

"The Council and the Daimyo," Tsunade agreed. "They like what Naruto represents, the faith the people and other villages have in him." Tsunade took a new bottle of sake, started fiddling with it. "They also fear the influence you have on him, never mind it was chasing after you that brought him this far."

 

"What I told him is-" Sasuke's mouth had gone dry. Something as wicked as that had never crossed his mind. "I don't have ulterior motives," he said, staring at the wooden walls.

 

"Brat," Tsunade's tone sounded almost sad, "you should know better than anyone that what matters to them is what _they_ believe."

 

Sasuke shivered. "They won't let him become Hokage if I'm close."

 

"Not that he would mind, though, if that were to keep you in Konoha during more than a week."

 

Sasuke observed the woman, trying to determine whether she was already drunk. He doubted Naruto would renounce to his life's dream when it was just a step away from him just because he wanted Sasuke to stay in Konoha. That would make no sense. That would be stupid. That would be... exactly the kind of thing Naruto always did.

 

Sasuke sat down mechanically. Tsunade took the chance to slide another bottle of sake across the table, towards Sasuke. He took it, tentatively at first, then drank it in one go.

 

"He has to become Hokage," Sasuke said in a whisper. The dobe was the only one he could trust to make a change in the shinobi world.

 

Tsunade nodded and passed him another bottle from her apparently infinite stock, raising her own. "For the brat."

 

Sasuke raised his bottle in reply and drank. He swore the lump in his throat was due to the strong alcohol and not the decision he had just made.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment, I'd like to read your opinions on this one.


	5. a guilty soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter right before the end. 
> 
> Enjoy the reading.

 

 

Sasuke wished he could just leave whenever he wanted, but given his condition, he had to wait until the Hokage's Office finished the stack of paperwork that would allow him to travel without trouble. He wished he had not stayed this long in Konoha, increasing his hopes for something impossible. He wished he had held his tongue that night, wished he had stopped reading Naruto's letters as soon as he started writing about the Hyuuga girl. And he wished, more than anything, to be able to stop wondering what Naruto would have told him if they had had the opportunity to talk.

 

Sasuke already knew the general answer. Sakura and Hinata Hyuuga, the precautions Kakashi and Shikamaru had taken, and Tsunade's concern had answered his question. But he would have liked to find out from the dobe himself. He deserved the feeling, though, considering he had dared to ask for something so good. Even after hurting him in every possible way, Naruto fought tooth and nail to set him free, received him with a smile every time he returned, never tried to stop him when he informed him he was not ready to stay. Yet, Sasuke had dared to ask for more.

 

He sighed wearily and held tightly to the sink in front of him. He would gain nothing by overthinking, he knew what he had to do, and he better did it before Naruto came back. It would hurt Naruto to leave like that, but it would still cause less damage than the alternative. He wouldn't be leaving for good, just long enough for Naruto to forget about what had happened, long enough for himself to ditch his hopes away. It didn't matter he didn't know how long it would take.

 

Sasuke stared at himself in the mirror, trying to drill into his mind the fact that he was doing what was best for everyone. He breathed again, before releasing his grip on the sink and securing his travelling cloak around his shoulders. Then, he crossed his empty apartment, closed the door and directed his steps towards the Hokage Tower.

 

*~*~*

 

"Naruto's return is due tomorrow," Kakashi commented as he read Sasuke's travelling plan.

 

"I know."

 

Kakashi raised his gaze from the scroll and studied him thoroughly, almost the way he had done the first time they met. "He will be expecting to find you here."

 

Sasuke felt his mouth go dry but managed to respond. "If I stay any longer, I'll lose the trail."

 

Kakashi held his stare a while longer, then closed his eyes and gave a weary sigh. "I guess I can't handle you now that you are adults," he said before stamping the approved seal on Sasuke's itinerary and handing him his pass out of Konoha.

 

"If it makes you feel better," Sasuke said as he tucked the documents inside his cloak, "you weren't able to handle us back then either."

 

"A teacher that can't even stop his students from hurting each other." Kakashi cocked his head to the side. "It makes me wonder how they could entrust the village to me."

 

Sasuke felt an unusual pang of guilt at Kakashi's comment. He had not meant his words that way.

 

"This is the best for everyone."

 

Kakashi crossed his fingers in front of his face. "Some of the worst things in the history of this village were done claiming the best intentions."

 

Sasuke grimaced; that had been a low blow. He made a great effort to control himself because if he gave the ANBU the slightest hint of threatening Kakashi, they would throw him into a cell and delay his departure, which was probably Kakashi's objective.

 

"I will take full responsibility for my actions," he said instead. "May I take my leave now, Hokage-sama?"

 

Kakashi held his stare, impassive, during a full minute, before sighing in defeat. "You are dismissed."

 

*~*~*

 

Sasuke considered, albeit for an instant, telling Sakura about his decision and departure. It was a courtesy he supposed she deserved, but he talked himself against it when he considered the possibility of ending on a hospital bed, forced into a situation he didn't want to face. It would be better for him to leave silently and apologize when he next got the opportunity. Business as usual.

 

He did stop by Naruto's place one last time, maybe because he was a masochist, but mainly to take care of Naruto's plants. He didn't want to add to Naruto's pain by carelessly ruining his garden.

 

Sasuke opened the door quite hastily; the less it took him to finish his task, the better. He tried to focus on the simple steps written on Naruto's list, watering the flower pots that had gone dry, adding fertilizer, and stripping off the withering leaves. He took special care of the sunflower, which he only identified as such thanks to the sign attached to the pot. At the moment it was nothing more than a green seedling that Sasuke could have easily mistaken for any other green plant, but it was supposed to grow into a strong, bright-yellow bloom. Very fitting as Naruto's favourite. Sasuke didn't want to know how he had come to remember something like that. Instead, he hurried to return the gardening tools to their place, practically running towards the genkan. He closed the door and dropped the spare key into the mailbox.

 

There was no looking back or parting note left behind. Naruto wouldn't even know Sasuke had been there.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Sasuke was somehow out of character, but as this takes place after his redemption journey, I won't suffer much because of that. 
> 
> Leave a comment and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm the slowest writer in the world and should probably be finishing my ASOIAF story, but I had to get this one out of my mind first. I have most of the chapters for this one written already, so it shouldn't take me long to update.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


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